Automatic switch.



PATBNTBD Muze; 1903.v

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PATBNTED MAY 26, 1903.

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yAutro'mmm SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPTVZQ. 1802.

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No. k728,880.

UNITED STATE-s Patented May 26, 1903,

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK R. S. DITMARS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO DITMARS-.IOHNSON AUTOMATIC SWITCH COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY,

MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICA-IIQNV forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,880, dated May 26, 1903. Application tiled September 29, 1902. Serial No. 125,321. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK R. S. DIT- MARS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic railwayswitches, and it relates to certain' improvements upon my previously-invented automatic switch for which I'made an application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 99,101, filed March 20, 1902.

The objects of the present invention are, first, to provide means for throwing a switch to the main line by a car receding from the switch upon the main line; second, to provide means for throwinga switch to the main line by a car receding from the switch upon a side track; third, to provide means for operating the switch manually by means of a switch-stand.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of myimproved device for throwing a switch by cars passing in either direction, showing also my improved switch-locking device. Fig. 2 is aplan View of portions of the'main line and side track immediatelyto the left of those portions shown in Fig. l. Figs. 1 and 2 may be considered as detached halves of a single View. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the double switchthrowing device shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the guide-casting being broken away. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the upper portion of the switch-stand. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper portion of the switch-stand, omitting the target. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the manner in which -the wheel-levers are attached to the wing-rails. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View of a car provided with two switch-throwing devices. Fig. Sis an enlarged sectional side elevation of one of said switch-throwing devices. Fig. 9 is a top plan View of one of said switch-throwing devices, parts being broken off. Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the slotted guide-plate 60.

1 and 2 are the switch-rails, which are connected pivotally to the wing-rails 3 and 4 at 5 5 in the usualY manner. Attached to the inner sides of the respective wing-rails 3 4 are two wheel-levers 6 and 7, which are adapted to be depressed by wheels of cars moving in one direction, which is from the switch toward the main line, (to the right in the drawings.) Each wh eel-lever is f ulcrumed on a stub-shaft 8, which is made integral with the outer anglebar 9 and passes through the rail and the inwhich device comprises two levers 21 and 22 anda link 23,connecting said levers, asshown. Said levers 21 22 are fulcrumed at a and b, respectively, and one end ofv lever 21 is connected by a rod 24 to one arm 14 of the angle-lever- 14 16. Each lever 21 and 22 is of such a length that when it lies-transversely of the track its end will touch or nearly touch one lof the switch-rails 1 or 2. In Fig.

1 the switch-rails are locked for the main line by the lever 22. When the switch-rails are thrown for the side track, they will be locked in that position by the other lever 21.

Secured to the ties between the rails of the main line adjacent to the switch is a flat base-plate 25. Lying horizontally above said base-plate, with its ends secured thereto, is a guide-casting 26. This guide-casting comprises two similar longitudinal members 26 and 26. Mounted on stub-shafts 27, secured to base-plate 25, are two pointed or triangular levers 2S and 29, the points of which ex tend in opposite directions, 'as shown. The inner edges 'of the guide members 26 are so shaped that when a vertically-depending pin carried by a car is forced longitudinally between said guide members one of the pointed levers 28er 29 will be turned by such pin for the purpose of throwing the switch one way or the other. For this purpose lateral arms and 31 are secured to or integral with the respective pointed levers 28 29, and said arms are connected together by a rod 32. The arm 30 nearest to the switch is connected by a rod 34 to one arm 14 of the threeway angle-lever14 16 aforesaid.

35 designates a switch-stand, of which 36 is the hand-lever and 37 the track-rod. This rod 37 is connected to a pin 38 on the lower face of one of the pointed levers 28. The shaft 39 of the switch-stand has its upper portion shaped hexagonally, and the inner end of the hand-lever 36 is pivoted in a collar which is loose enough upon the shaft 39 to be rotatable thereon. The inner end of the hand-lever is long enough to reach and engage one of the flat faces of the shaft 39 when the hand-lever is raised to operative position. When the hand-lever hangs down in its locked position, the shaft 39 is free to be turned by the automatically-caused movements of the pointed levers 28 29; but the switch mayat any time be thrown by a switchman by raising the hand-lever and turning it in the usual manner, as it will then engage positively the switch-shaft 39.

Secured centrally to the base-plate 25, between the pointed levers, is an arched metal plate 4l, termedhereinaftera lifter-cam, as its two oppositely-inclined faces are adapted for lifting the pin which throws thepointed levers, as described hereinafter.

In order that a car receding from the switch on the side track may automatically throw the switch back to main line, I place in the side track a switch-throwing device comprising a base-plate 2, a guide-casting 44, a pointed lever 45, provided with a lateral arm 46, a lifter-cam 47, secured to said baseplate, and a rod 48, connecting the arm 46 to the lower end of one of the wheel-levers 7.

rThe wheel-levers 6 7 are so adjusted that when the upper end of one is depressed (by passage thereover of car-wheel flanges) the upper end of the other said lever will be about level with the top of the rail in position to be depressed by car-wheel flanges.

The devices carried by the cars for operating the switch differ but slightly from the corresponding device described in my aforesaid application for Letters Patent. In the pressent case a freight-car is represented as provided with two switch-throwing devices, one secured to-each truck of the car. These devices are constructed as follows: Secured to the bottom of each truck-bolster 49 is a metal plate 50, a portion of which extends from the bolster toward the end of the car. Upon the plate 50, fulcrumed on a stud or pin 51, is a curved lever 52, one-end of which is connected by a chain 64 to a crank 54 upon a rock-shaft 56, the bearings of which are secured to the bottom of the car. The rockshaft 56 extends transversely of the car, and its outer end is bent to form a crank 57, by

which it may be rocked. Resting upon the middle portion of lever 52 is the head of a depending pin 58, which passes loosely through a hole in plate 50 and through a transverse slot 59 in a plate 60, secured to the crossbrace 61 of the truck. The bottom of the pin 58 is normallya suihcient distance above the tops of the rails. The lever 52 is pressed against the pin 58 by a spring 62, coiled around the fulcrum-pin 5l. Normally said lever 52 passes beneath the head of the pin and holds the pin raised, as shown. may be dropped at any time by moving the the crank 57 in the proper direction to pull the lever 52 from under the head of the pin. When the pin is dropped, it is ready to act upon one of` the three pointed levers 28, 29, or 45. For the convenience of switchmen each car should be equipped with two of the dropping-pin devices, one at each end of the car, with the cranks 57 at opposite sides of the carin the same arrangement as that of the coupler-cranks in general use. l

`The operation of the devices shown and described is as follows: Supposing a car to be on the main line approaching the pointed levers 28 and 29 toward the left and that the car is to be switched onto the side track,the switchman drops one of the pins 58, carried by the said car, and when said pin strikes the pointed lever 29 it turns the lever (owing to the shape of t-he guide 26) and the switch rails are thrown for the side track through the intermediacy of tie-bar 19, angle-lever 14 16, rod 34, and arm 3l of lever 29. The pin 58 in passing over the lifter-cam 41 is raised thereby to its normal position-that is to say, far enough to permit the spring-actuated lever 52 to enter beneath its head. Thus the pin 58 will not touch the reversely-pointed lever 28, but will pass thereover, and the car will take the side track. Now if it be desired to throw the switch back to main line after the car has passed the switch the switchman again drops the pin 58, which when it reaches the pointed lever 45 in the side track turns said lever to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thereby turns arm 46, pulls rods 48 and 18, and turns the angle-lever 14 16, which throws the switch-rails to main line.

To illustrate the action of main-line lever 28 and that of the main-line wheel-lever 7, in case the switch is thrown for the side track the main-line wheel-lever 7 will be in raised position, while the side-track wheel-lever 6 will be in lowered position.v The flange of one of the car-wheels striking the main-line lever 7 will depress the same and will there-A by throw the switch for the main line. Now if it be desired to throw the switch back to side track after the car has passed the switchpoints the switchman drops one of the pins on the car, and the pin striking t-he pointed lever 28 will turn it and will thereby throw the switch to side-track position, and the pin will immediately be lifted by the lifter-cam 41. The purpose of the side-track wheel-le- The pin y IOO IIO

ver 6 is to provide for throwing the switch to the side track by a car approaching the switch upon the side track in cases when the switch is set for the main line.

All of the above-described movements of the switch and other devices will turn the switch-stand shaft 39 and its target 40, as the said shaft is connected by the rod 37 to one of the pointed levers 2S. Whenever any one of the pointed levers or wheel-levers is moved, the other wheel-lever and the other two pointcd levers are moved simultaneously, as will be evident and readily understood.

By the use of this apparatus the usual stoppages of cars in switching may be almost entirely avoided, and thus a valuable saving ot time may be effected. l

The switch-stand need not be operated at all by hand except for switching cars that are not equipped with the switch-throwing devices described.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with switch-rails, of two pointed levers mounted between the rails of the main line at aV suitable distance from the switch rails, the points of said levers pointing in opposite directions, a guide-casting secured to the ties above said levers, a stationary lifter-cam secured between said levers, two transverse arms on said levers respectively, a rod connecting said arms, and means connected to one ot' said arms for throwing the switch-rails; substantial] y as described.

2. The combination, withswitch-rails and a siding, of a pointed lever mounted between the rails of the siding, the point of said level being directed toward the switch, a stationary lifter-cam adjacent to the unpointed end of said lever, a guide-casting secured to the ties above said lever, a transverse arm on said lever, and means connected to said arm for throwing the switch-rails, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with switch-rails and a siding, of a tie-bar connecting the switchrails, an angle-lever connected to said tie-bar, a pointed lever mounted between the railsof the siding, the point 0f said lever being directed toward the switch, a guide-casting secured to the ties above said lever, a transverse arm on said lever, and rods 4:8 and 18 connecting said arm with said angle-lever; substantially as described.

4. A lockingdevice for switch-rails, the same comprising a tiebar connecting the switch-rails, a three-way angle-lever having its middle arm connected to said tie-bar, two locking-levers arranged between the ends of the switch-rails, the end of each locking-lever being adapted to engage the inner face of one of the switch-rails, a link connecting said locking-levers, and a rod connecting one of said locking-levers to one arm of said anglelever; substantially as described.

5.. The combination, with switch-rails, of two pointed levers mounted between the rails of the main line at a suitable distance from the switchrails, the points of said levers pointing in opposite directions, a guide-castingr secured to the ties above said levers, a stationary lifter-cam secured between said levers, two transverse arms on said levers, respectively, a rod connecting said arms, means connected to one of said arms for throwing the switch-rails, and a vertically-movable pin carried by a car, said pin being adapted to operate said pointed levers; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof- I afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK. R. S. DITMARS.

Witnesses:

M. L. LANGE, K. M. IMBODEN. 

